She used to do that, he said.

What’s that? the waitress responded.

Pour my coffee in the morning.  Bring me breakfast at the table while I read the paper.

Your wife?

Yeah. She did a lot of things. He stirred in cream and sugar.

Like what?

Sorry.

I said, like what. She sat down across from him in the booth. Tape covered tears.

For instance, he smiled. We took the family on this cross-country trip one year to The Grand Canyon. He laughed. Kids were rowdy the whole time. Excited. From Chicago to Arizona, they couldn’t be still. Even when I drove in the darkness of West Texas into New Mexico, they were still jabbering away.

Sounds nice, she told him.

Yeah. Looking back on it. It was nice. He looked down at his plate of fried eggs and bacon. Dipped wheat toast into the yolks. She had this crazy idea about saving money on food for the trip.

Yeah?

She took a pot roast and wrapped it in foil, then put it next to the engine. The old man shook his head. There were vegetables wrapped up, too.

I see. The waitress poured more coffee.

Thank you. She said that by the time we got to Joplin, it’d be done. Nice and tender, she said.

Oh no.

Yeah. We got to Joplin, and I opened up the hood. A terrible smell of burnt food and oil permeated the whole roast, it seemed. We both laughed. Got the boy and the girl McDonald’s that night. They were happy.

That’s a nice memory, she said. I wish I could go on a trip with a man. Maybe some kids.

Well. The truck is parked outside. He laughed.

What happened to your family? She asked. If you don’t mind telling me.

My daughter is in Denver. She’s a dancer. Got a kid. I’m going to see them one day. He took a sip of coffee. And the boy is out there wondering around. Trying to find himself, he says. I send him money sometimes.

I see.

My wife passed away a few years back. Cancer. She died in the woods next to our house. Died in my arms. I spread her ashes out there. She wanted that.

Sorry.

He nodded. It’s OK. I’ve come to terms with it. They looked at each other, the young woman and the old man. Looked into each other’s eyes. Hers brown. His gray. They just looked. She poured him more coffee.